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Coilgun
A coilgun is a generic term for a tubular ranged weapon which uses superconductor-based magnets as particle accelerators to discharge a ferromagnetic projectile at hypersonic speed. These particle accelerators are often called 'coils' which launch the projectile, called a Bolt, which is most commonly a solid steel-core tungsten flechette of considerable size. Coilguns are the most common weapons in the Human Domain and indeed the galaxy itself. Coilguns range in size from sidearms that can be fired in one hand to monstrous cannons that can tear starships in two, and everything in between. 'Coil' technology is so widespread and so versatile that no army can get by without it. Even if its primary assets use Beamer technology, coilguns lead the way in artillery, both heavy and light, and as heavy anti-personnel weapons such as vehicle-mounted machine guns. Because of how advanced coil technology has gotten, and the greater potential it has, it has largely phased out the Railgun throughout the Galaxy. Human coil-technology is some of the most powerful in the galaxy, due to human expertise in the field of Superconducting Fibers, which is unsurpassed. In addition, precise machining of coil-weapons is greatly aided by humans' advanced nanotechnology. History and Usage Coilguns eventually far outclassed and replaced the more traditional Firearm in the arsenal of every (modern) army in the galaxy. This is because in firearms, the gases which propel the projectile expand at the speed of sound, but in a coilgun the magnetic coils work much, much faster. An 8mm bolt fired from a typical battle rifle has just a little under twice as much muzzle energy than a tank shell of olden times. Bolts travel further and are more stable over long distance than bullets, which gave coilgun-issued forces a significant range and accuracy advantage over those still using firearms. In addition, coilguns do not have recoil. One way to measure how powerful a coilgun is to see how many coils it has. A coilpistol may only have three, a carbine four, and a battle rifle as many as seven, though more often five or six. Each coil exponentially increases the speed of the projectile as it moves down the barrel. Starship coil-cannons often have 20 or more of the largest size (super-coils), and are firing shells of tremendous caliber. However firearms still exist and serve in niche applications: shotguns, for example. Comparison to contemporary beam weapons Coilguns are the most ubiquitous weapon in the galaxy, but are closely followed by beamers. There are a number of considerations armies have made when choosing which weapon to use for what role - provided they had a choice. An overview of the two weapon technologies and how they compare follows, comparing only the technologies as they apply to small arms for Infantry. Accuracy, range, and precision A hypersonic projectile is not as affected by 'bullet drop' as firearms are, however minute changes in trajectory can still have a big affect on coilgun accuracy, especially as coilguns have much longer effective engagement ranges than firearms do. Lasers, of course, travel perfectly straight until their beams eventually lose coherency in thick atmospheres, and are not meaningfully affected by gravity. Lasers thus hold an advantage in accuracy and precision. If fighting in a vacuum, lasers also unquestionably win the range contest, however this may not be tactically significant. When fighting a thick atmosphere, coilguns may have a longer effective range than beamers of equivalent power. The fact that lasers only travel straight, however, can limit their range in some (rare) cases. Coilgun projectiles do eventually arc, meaning they can in theory hit targets on the reverse slope or opposite side of a hill if aimed correctly. On a larger scale, this is why all artillery is coil-based, save for direct-fire weapons like tank guns. Thus, how these weapons compare in these categories depends heavily on the environment. As coilguns can be counted upon to have a consistent performance regardless of the environment, coilguns are often considered much more versatile. Stopping power and armour penetration A coilgun bolt is so dense, moving so fast, and so narrow that it will typically make clean holes in (unarmoured) human bodies, though the exit wound may be quite gruesome. As such, at close range (for a coilgun) it may take several shots to center of mass to fully neutralize someone (of course, a shot to the cranium will usually kill instantly). These same properties make coilguns superior as armour-piercing weapons compared to firearms, and battle rifles and above have great materials-penetration capabilities. In contrast, lasers are poor at penetrating materials (like concrete or rocks) but excel in armour penetration, having better performance than coilgun bolts at equivalent ranges. Like bolts, lasers produce clean holes in (again, unarmoured) human bodies, but unlike bolts they instantly cauterize the wound created, meaning lasers do not cause bleeding wounds. They can however cause severe burns if armour or atmosphere weakens a laser to the point that they do not completely melt through flesh. A single laser blast could "break" a graphene Infantry Cuirass instantly, though it would not necessarily kill the soldier wearing it, so the armour does its job. Against spider-silk Soft Armour, lasers do much worse but somewhat better than coilguns. That being said, armour with sufficient ablative plating drastically reduces the penetration power of laser weapons, and is quite common. Cost Coilguns are somewhat more expensive to manufacture than a beamer of equivalent power in the same period and tech level. This is largely due to the larger size of coil-weapons in general compared to their beam counterparts, as well as the larger number of moving parts made from high-quality rare materials, and the delicate machining involved to make them. Not to mention that coilguns require ammunition, which also must be made of dense ferromagnetic materials and machined for mass production, while lasers have no such requirement. This means that coilguns are many orders of magnitude more expensive to field than lasers in the long-term. Types and Doctrine There are many different types of coilguns, as well as doctrinal ideas for them. Pistols A Pistol is a coilgun which is designed to be able to be fired with one hand. Pistols are often used by civilians and law enforcement for various purposes, but in the military they also see some use. However, the common line infantry do not usually receive a coil-pistol in addition to their primary weapon, they simply do not want or need one. When line infantry do receive pistols, as in some armies, it is usually a Beamer Pistol, as otherwise it is just extra weight for a soldier to carry two weapons and separate ammunition for both of them. Exceptions are often made for a squad's specialist soldiers such as the machine gunner, as a pistol is more ideal for defending the interior of a building than a heavy machine gun. Special forces and other highly elite units also receive pistols as they generally need to be equipped to be flexible in any conceivable situation. Sometimes vehicle drivers and operators are given pistols as a PDW (personal defense weapon), however SMGs or carbines are more common in some armies. SMGs SMGs are essentially larger versions of pistols, with larger magazines and a rapid rate of fire. SMGs are a niche weapon, used by shock troops and special forces or by urban warfare specialists. Carbines Carbines are the most common coil-weapons, as they are an effective compromise between benefits of an SMG or pistol with some of the range and power of a battle rifle. They are also an ideal weapon for mechanized infantry, who often fight from their transport vehicle's passenger section's firing ports, as well as carbines being convenient for when soldiers need to dismount the vehicle. Carbines are small and light, and easily used inside of buildings, and are overall an effective and flexible weapon. Battle Rifle Battle rifles are used as standard-issue in some armies and are present in most others as a support weapon of sorts. They are full caliber rather than intermediate as carbines are. Compared to carbines they have longer range and far greater stopping power and penetration. Often, a squad will have at least the designated marksman armed with a battle rifle, allowing the squad to reach out to greater ranges than typical riflemen with carbines can, increasing the effectiveness of the unit. They are often also used as anti-material rifles, to punch through cover and take out vital targets and suppress even well-protected soldiers. Battle rifles' bolts are typically 8mm. Machine Gun Also often simply called heavy coilguns, machine guns are squad support weapons used for laying down suppressive fire, allowing other units to carry out their roles. Heavy coilguns have immense firepower and often have two barrels being fed and fired simultaneously. They are also used in vehicles and aircraft, and vary in caliber. The smallest heavy coilguns are ~13mm, while the largest are sometimes distinguished as autocannons and go up to 40mm. Typically, a standard squad of soldiers will have carbines or battle rifles as standard weapons, a designated marksman with a battle rifle, and a machine gunner with a pistol. Mortars Coil-mortars are simple and lightweight, and used as light artillery. Compared to conventional mortars they fire twice as fast and have around 30% greater range. Mortars' 'beaten zone' can be very concentrated and precise, and mortars themselves are very versatile. Cannon Because lasers are only practical as direct-fire weapons, high-caliber coil-cannons are the only option for long-range artillery. In this regard, coilguns are predominant as howitzers and cannons, sometimes towed (in less sophisticated armies) and sometimes self-propelled. Starship Armament The most powerful coilguns are those put on starships. The bolts hurled by a starship-caliber cannon can cross a distance of dozens of light-seconds in a matter of minutes, and have devastating power. Category:Magnetic Weapons Category:Featured article